Lessons My Kids Taught Me: Believe You Can And Then Go For It

My daughter attends art classes at my college every Wednesday. I enjoy dropping her off and roaming the campus with my son for an hour and a half while she gets her creativity on. It’s my time in the midst of a crazy week to just be with my son. No client emails. No Facebook. No jotting down ideas of my next big project – just Mommy and son time.

Yesterday during our time together, we walked to the track where a few runners were doing laps. There were a few hurdles still up on the track and I was about to instruct my son to go around them when he took off running full speed.

Since he knows the hurdles are about as tall as he is, he didn’t try to jump over them, but instead he instinctively ducked under each one and kept moving.

He went around the track and when he came to more hurdles, he did the same thing. I sat there and watched him tackle each obstacle that was in his path—a puddle, some rogue pieces of wood, mud. He ducked and dodged like a pro.

There was a balance beam out there as well and he attempted to cross it. I reached out my hands to help him balance and he told me, “I can do it myself. I’ve been practicing.” He fell off and looked at me. “I can do this! I won’t give up!”

I almost couldn’t take how determined he was being. It was like he knew that whatever he put his mind to, he would be able to do it.

Isn’t it amazing how much confidence we have as children, only to have to bashed out of us by the time we reach adulthood? How many of us stay in “safe” jobs because of the economy? How many of us want to switch majors but don’t because we don’t think we’ll find a job in the field we really want to be in? How many of us say we want love that strengthens us but we end up settling for a warm body next to us at night?

My biggest wish for my son is for him to keep that confidence, that optimism, that determination. To always be sure of himself and his abilities. How many of us can say we’ve succeeded at that? How many of us get defeated at the sight of a few obstacles, not paying attention to the fact that we can simply go around or under them, much like my son did with the hurdles.

My son reminded me today that I’m stronger than I give myself credit for and that determination is the key to success.

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